Indians considering studying in Canada are advised to exercise caution, as many students have found themselves enrolled in substandard institutions with limited job prospects, leading to severe mental health issues, including depression and suicide. This alarming observation was made by Sanjay Verma, India’s former High Commissioner to Canada, during an interview with PTI.

“At one point of time in my tenure, at least two bodies of students were being sent to India in body bags per week,” Verma stated. He noted that some students, unable to face their families after experiencing academic or professional failure, resorted to taking their own lives.

Verma returned to India earlier this month amid escalating diplomatic tensions with Canada over the Khalistani separatist issue. He and five other diplomats were named as "persons of interest" in a murder investigation related to the 2023 killing of a Canadian citizen identified by India as a Khalistani terrorist. To avoid further diplomatic strain, India recalled Verma and his colleagues on October 19, marking a significant diplomatic crisis between the two nations.

Advice to parents

In his interview, Verma emphasised that his advice to parents would remain unchanged regardless of diplomatic relations, as it stems from his own experience as a father. “They have gone there to dream of a future, and were returning in body bags,” he lamented.

Verma urged parents to thoroughly research colleges before making decisions, pointing out that unscrupulous agents often mislead students into enrolling in lesser-known institutions that may offer minimal instruction—sometimes only one class per week. Consequently, students live in cramped accommodations, with some sharing a room with up to eight others.

“It is especially painful because the kids belong to ‘good families,’ and their parents and family members spend a fortune on their education,” Verma noted. He highlighted that the lack of adequate education and skill development results in graduates working in jobs unrelated to their fields of study, such as driving cabs or running small food stalls.

When asked if parents should reconsider sending their children to Canada, Verma replied, “Absolutely.”

Canada a favoured destination for aboard study

Canada and the United States remain the top destinations for Indian students pursuing higher education, with many opting for prestigious institutions like the University of Toronto, McGill University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Alberta. However, the majority of Indian students in Canada attend lesser-known colleges, with only a few hundred enrolling in top universities each year.

According to data shared by the Indian government in Parliament in early August, there are currently 1,335,878 Indian students studying abroad in 2024. Of these, 427,000 are in Canada, while 337,630 are in the United States. Other countries include China (8,580), Greece (8), Israel (900), Pakistan (14), and Ukraine (2,510).

Verma pointed out that Indian international students pay four times the fees of their Canadian counterparts. “If they are going to spend such an amount, then they should research well whether they will receive the facilities they expect,” he emphasised. He has consistently raised concerns with Canadian authorities regarding the welfare of Indian students.

Students find themselves trapped

Furthermore, many students find themselves trapped in difficult situations, as some parents have sold property or taken loans to fund their education abroad. “Now, that boy or girl, who went to study, cannot think of returning, because nothing was left to return to,” leading to tragic outcomes, including suicides, Verma remarked.

In the past 18 months, he has documented numerous student testimonies regarding their challenges, which he has shared on platforms like YouTube.